J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

LBP saves families from being deceived by NRI
Jalandhar, September 12
The Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) has saved three families from being deceived at the hands of a Canada-based Non-Resident Indian (NRI). The LBP president, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, said a Canada based NRI approached Tejinder Singh and Swaran Kaur of Samrala on phone for marrying their daughter after an advertisement appeared in a Canada based newspaper. Later on, the NRI persuaded them to send their son Charan Kanwal Singh to Canada for which he asked them to give Rs 5 lakh to his lady agent in Ludhiana.

Lok Bhalai Party president Balwant Singh Ramoowalia returns the money that Tejinder Singh gave to a Canada-based NRI, in Jalandhar on Monday. Tribune Photo: Sarabjit Singh

Lab technicians strike work
Amritsar, September 12
With the lab technicians here resorting to a pen-down strike from today, patients faced a tough time at government hospitals in the city today.

Protest by PMU activists disrupts traffic for an hour
Jalandhar, September 12
Hundreds of visitors to the District Administrative Complex (DAC) here had a tough time as activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union (PMU) squatted on the road outside it on Monday afternoon. Traffic remained disrupted for over an hour after 3 pm.

Activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union protest in Jalandhar on Monday. Tribune photo: Sarabjit Singh

Dharna by DCC on Sept 15
Amritsar, September 12
Up in arms against the alleged rampant corruption and the mining mafia active in the area, the District Congress Committee (Rural) would organise a dharna at the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on September 15.

LBP saves families from being deceived by NRI
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Lab technicians strike work
Tribune Reporters

Demands

n Revision of salary grade n To be placed higher than staff nurses n Risk allowance because of job profile n Free residence

Amritsar, September 12
With the lab technicians here resorting to a pen-down strike from today, patients faced a tough time at government hospitals in the city today.

The Laboratory Technicians Association had given the call for a three-day pen-down strike starting today to press upon the government for fulfilment of their demands. A section of the patients at all the government-run medical institutions, in the need to get medical tests done, had to return empty-handed as laboratory technicians refused to conduct any tests.

However, emergency medical services required were provided, said Baldev Singh Jhander, vice-president, Laboratory Technicians’ Association.

The technicians are demanding that their salary grades be revised and placed better than the staff nurses in hospitals. The case is still pending with the anomaly committee. Further, the technicians demand a risk allowance because of their job profile posing them to various health risks.

The association also demand free residence services for technicians put on emergency duties in the hospitals. Further, the union has demanded recruitment of Senior Lab technicians in all newly-formed districts. The association would also hold a protest outside Civil Surgeon office on September 14.

Lab technicians of all the health centres observed strike and held dharna in front of the Civil surgeon in Batala today.

Phagwara: Lab technicians belonging to the Punjab State Medical Laboratory Technicians Association held a dharna on the first day of their three-day pen down strike beginning today.

Association state general secretary Jhirmal Singh Bhinder told newsmen that a chain hunger strike would be launched before the Ludhiana residence of Punjab health minister Satpal Gosian from September 25.

He flayed the state government for not taking any steps to fulfill their demands despite repeated assurances. Their demands include regularisation of the services of ad-hoc employees working on a contractual basis and better pay scales.

Protest by PMU activists disrupts traffic for an hour
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 12
Hundreds of visitors to the District Administrative Complex (DAC) here had a tough time as activists of the Pendu Mazdoor Union (PMU) squatted on the road outside it on Monday afternoon. Traffic remained disrupted for over an hour after 3 pm.

Union’s district secretary Kashmir Singh Ghugshor justified the manner of protest stating that when they came there, no official was present there to accept a memorandum of demands from them.

At this, they were left with no option but to squat on the road. However, at the same time, he said, “We do not want to cause any inconvenience to the public but we are forced to do so to get our demands accepted.”

Earlier, PMU activists gathered at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall from where they marched to the DAC complex while passing through areas such as BMC Chowk.

Their demands include waiving off the electricity bills of landless farm labourers and restoring the power connections of those landless labourers who did not deposit their dues as well as withdrawal of the cases lodged against PMU activists, he added.

Dharna by DCC on Sept 15
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 12
Up in arms against the alleged rampant corruption and the mining mafia active in the area, the District Congress Committee (Rural) would organise a dharna at the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on September 15.

Harpartap Singh Ajnala, president DCC (Rural) while addressing the party workers here today alleged that sitting MLA from Majitha constituency Bikram Singh Majithia has taken control of the of the mining contracts not only in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts but also in the neighbouring state of Jammu and Kashmir.

He also alleged that the people living near the river in the border areas earned their livelihood by delivering sand and gravel but the goons of the SAD leaders were allegedly fleecing them forcing them to stop the work.

He appealed to the workers and people of the district to take part in large numbers to show their resentment against the officers concerned who were acting as agents of the leaders of the ruling party in the area.

Congress MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sukhsarkaria alleged that local Rajasansi International Airport was being ignored by the state government as they were in favour of the international airport at Mohali. He alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his family had bought 300-acre land at throwaway prices before announcing the setting up of an international airport.

He alleged that the local airport was lying in a neglected state and no efforts were being made by the state government to upgrade the facilities here.

Former chairman of the Improvement Trust, Jalandhar, Tejinder Singh Bittu, who has been appointed as the coordinator for the protest rally, alleged injustice was being done to the people of Majha and Doaba regions who had given tremendous support to the SAD party in the last Assembly elections. He said people were now eagerly waiting for the next elections to throw the SAD-BJP government out of power.